Do You Want to Give Me Your Number Now or Later?
by New Decade
Summary: After Calleigh gave him her number, a friendship began to grow. A series of one-shots during their first few months together at Miami-Dade Crime Lab. Inspired by 8.01.
1. March

Summary pretty much says what this fic is about. Before you read, let me tell you there is one scene involving Ray Caine. I haven't watched my earlier season DVDs in awhile so I don't remember the exact season or episode, but I think Calleigh said something about only just starting at CSI when Ray "died" in 2001. Well, obviously the CBS writers screwed that up, but I liked the 1997 version a bit more so I'm using my poetic license and I'm pretend Calleigh had met Ray before. Also, I don't know how advanced forensic technology was back in the 90's, so I'm just going by what I see today. It may be inaccurate, but nothing in life is perfect and you gotta go with what you got.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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><p><em>1998…<em>

Calleigh turned the knob of her car radio down; the weatherman's report softening until it could no longer be heard through the speakers. She kept a firm hand on the steering wheel until she was able to flip her phone open and place it snugly between her cheek and her shoulder.

"Duquesne?" Calleigh asked.

"Hey, it's me," Speedle's voice said. "Where are you?"

"Sorry, my alarm didn't go off," Calleigh lied, the truth was she had to retrieve her father from the Whiskey Stop around two in the morning the previous night and had regrettably slept through the buzzing of her alarm. "But I'm almost there."

"Great, 'cause we've got a case in the Gables to get to," Speedle sighed, frustrated. Calleigh's intuition told her that he wasn't frustrated with her being late, but something else was sneaking around his brain he didn't appreciate.

"Well, I can meet you there," Calleigh volunteered. "You can get a head start on the processing and catch me up to speed."

"Sounds good, but I'm going to catch _both _of you up to speed." Calleigh could practically hear his eyes rolling.

"Both? Horatio's not going to the scene?" Calleigh asked, confused.

"No, he is," Speedle assured her. "But you know how he keeps saying how we are going to get a new member for the team?"

"Yeah," Calleigh nodded, slowly stepping on her brake as a traffic light turned yellow then red.

"Well, he's going to be here in about ten minutes," Speedle informed her.

"Really? Do we know anything about him, did H say anything?" Calleigh asked, surprised how quickly this occurred. They had known for a long time Horatio wanted to put another member on the team, IAB had too been requesting it, but Horatio seemed to be stalling the process, almost as though he was waiting for a certain someone to just appear fresh out of the Academy.

"All he said was that we were getting a new guy and he wants us to show him the ropes," Speedle explained with a sigh.

"That's odd," Calleigh commented.

"You know him, he'll probably wants us to be as unbiased as possible when we meet him."

"Well, I think we're as unbiased as we could possibly be," Calleigh chuckled. "Listen, I'm literally three minutes away from PD, then we can meet this guy and try then try to solve a murder."

"Sounds like a plan," Speedle sighed before Calleigh ended the call.

* * *

><p>Calleigh grabbed her purse and climbed out of her car, a cool breeze welcoming her as she walked up the cement stairs. By the doors stood Horatio, talking firmly, it appeared, to young man Calleigh had only spoken with once or twice, but a face she recognized. Raymond nodded at anything his big brother said, a manila folder in his hands. Calleigh didn't make out much of the conversation between the Caines, however she did hear Horatio final words to Ray.<p>

"Be careful," Horatio warned.

"Aren't I always," Ray shrugged with a cocky smile, but his comment made Horatio's look become all the more stern and he tried to recover. "I will, I promise."

Horatio nodded and Ray began to walk down the same stairs Calleigh had just finished walking up.

"Detective," Calleigh acknowledged him with a nod.

"Ms. Duquesne," he replied before he continued to his car.

Calleigh took the final step and was at Horatio's side; he was lightly chewing on his lip with each of his hands placed on his hips as he worriedly watched his little brother begin to drive away.

"You okay, H?" Calleigh asked, concerned. She had been aware of Ray Caine's reckless behavior while undercover, always on the verge of permanently crossing over.

"Yeah," Horatio nodded as his brother's car disappeared amongst the others on the road.

"If he is anything like you, he'll be fine," Calleigh reassured him.

Horatio looked down at her and smiled, gratefully.

"I hope you're right," he sighed, looking at the road for one more moment before turning to face her completely.

"So, I heard that we are getting ourselves a new CSI," Calleigh said, changing the subject.

"You heard right," Horatio nodded.

Calleigh left the comment unanswered for a moment, only to see if there was any possibility that Horatio was going to give more information to her than Speedle. But based on the look she was receiving from the Horatio and the silence that rested, Calleigh knew that it wasn't going to happen.

"You aren't going to tell me anything, are you?" Calleigh smiled up at her boss with a raised eyebrow.

"Only that he will be meeting you and Speed in the locker room in about five minutes," Horatio smirked lightly.

Calleigh rolled her eyes, never letting her smile drop as she entered the building and made her way towards the locker room. Leaning up against his locker was Speedle, his arms crossed and his face having features resembling stone.

"I finally made it," Calleigh grinned at him as she opened her locker. "Are you okay?"

"I'd be better if we knew a thing or two about this rookie we are going to have to baby-sit," Speedle shrugged.

"He may not be that bad," Calleigh pointed out. "And he may have something to offer. You know you've got Trace, I've got Ballistic's and, I don't know, maybe he's a DNA genius or something."

"Or maybe he's a deadbeat guy who is desperate to find some dignity."

Calleigh gave her friend a look, she wasn't surprised at his negative attitude towards the concept of a new team member, he never was one to handle change with grace. Calleigh remembered how long it took him to adjust to working at CSI when he first decided to transfer, but he did…eventually.

"Tim, I think you are forgetting something important," Calleigh sighed, clipping her holstered gun to her side.

"Being?" Speedle asked, flatly.

"For one, he got his badge at the same academy you did. Two, he met Horatio's standards and you know how high those are," Calleigh reminded him.

"Maybe IAB or the Brass pressured him to get someone and he was forced to make a choice," Speedle pointed out, almost as though he was determined to shift Calleigh's optimistic views.

"Oh, come on," Calleigh groaned at his expense, shutting her locker door. "You and I both know that Horatio has more stones than to fall to the whims of IAB."

"I'm just saying that this may end up being bad," Speedle sighed.

"Or it can end up great and more people are arrested quicker," Calleigh rebutted.

Speedle looked at her, defeated, it became apparent to him that nothing he was going to say was going to derail her hopes for a positive encounter.

Calleigh opened her mouth to say something, but before she could even say a word the double doors opened, the two CSIs had a feeling it was their new colleague even before he came into view.

"Be nice," Calleigh murmured to Speedle as they turned to face the direction the man would be immerging from.

"Yes, Mom," Speedle replied, sarcastically. Calleigh shot him a look before turning her attention back down the aisle of lockers.

Calleigh didn't have any real clue who she was expecting to see whenever he came around the corner. Perhaps someone like Speedle, slim and rugged, but still had a threatening demeanor, or maybe someone older who gave off an aura of knowledge, she really wasn't sure who she expected to see. But she certainly knew that who she did see was so shocking that she had to clench her jaw to stop it from dropping.

Calleigh had only met this man once, she had spoken to him for less than five minutes and hadn't seen him in over six months, but she knew him. She recognized the bronze skin that perfectly harmonized with his hair and dark, yet friendly, eyes. There were a few changes to his appearance that Calleigh noticed, the light stubble that had covered his cheeks and chin had vanished, Calleigh was willing to bet he had shaved for his first day at work. But the biggest difference to Calleigh was that he was no longer tow-truck driver Eric Delko, but rather CSI Eric Delko.

Once the shock of seeing him passed, Calleigh's face turned into a full on smile, a smile he returned, revealing a line of perfect teeth in the process.

"Decided that being an 'automotive recovery expert' wasn't your calling?" Calleigh asked Eric, remembering what he preferred to be called other than just a tow-truck driver.

"Something like that," Eric nodded at the woman whose name he still didn't know, but he couldn't deny that fate had a way of working things out. The day she came down to the garage after he dropped off the car for their investigation, he didn't get her number and he was alright with that for the moment, but then he realized his stupidity for not at least getting her name.

"You guys have met?" Speedle asked, surprised by the twist of events.

"We met briefly," Calleigh explained. "Eric Delko this is Timothy Speedle. Tim Speedle, Eric Delko."

The two shook hands, Speedle's eyes never leaving Eric's, as though he were trying to read him. From Calleigh's point of view, Eric didn't seem to be intimidated by the way Speedle was looking at him, though she was certain he was more aware. By not faltering, Calleigh knew Eric was quickly earning Speedle's respect.

A silence surrounded the trio, instead of Speedle to interrogating Eric, giving him the "Speed Approved" job interview, as Calleigh had expected.

"Well, I know we are having a delightful conversation, but there is a murder that needs to be solved," Calleigh joked to break the silence. "Speed, you want to give Eric a quick tour of the lab and I'll meet you guys at the scene in a few?"

Speedle shot her a lethal look, seeing Calleigh was going to force him to talk to Eric, but Calleigh simply continued to grin up at him, unshaken by his stare.

"Sure," Speedle nodded before turning to Eric. "Lab's this way," he said, nodding his head towards the elevator.

"I'll see you guys later," she promised, giving them a small wave when she passed them.

As she walked away in the opposite direction, Eric's eyes didn't leave her until she rounded the corner and was out of sight; Speedle noticed and couldn't help but smile, almost feeling sorry for Eric.

"Don't waste your time," Speedle warned, pressing the button on the wall to call the elevator.

Eric turned back to Speedle, eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"She doesn't date," he stated, simply. "She especially doesn't date anyone she works with. Trust me."

Eric chuckled as they stepped onto the elevator. "When did she turn you down?"

"Never, we've always just been friends. But I've seen many lab techs become broken hearted," he sighed, hitting the button that held their floor number. "And she is too stubborn to change her mind, so save your breath."

"I'll keep that in mind," Eric nodded as the elevator doors closed. But the thing Speedle didn't know about Eric was that he wasn't one to change his mind either.

* * *

><p>"What's your story, baby?" Alexx asked, kneeling down beside the corpse in the parking lot turned crime scene. The victim was an African American woman, her body in a pool of blood, severe bruising on her forehead, brain matter and skull fragments protruding from a cleft on the side of her head.<p>

"Morning, Alexx," Calleigh greeted. "What've we got?"

"Tamika Lopez, twenty-five," she reported, examining the bullet holes on her torso. "She sustained three gunshot wounds."

"Any of them a through-and-through?"

Alexx shook her head. "None of them appear to be enough to kill her, either, but I'll know once I get her on my table."

"If the bullets didn't kill her, what do you think did?" Calleigh asked, lowering herself to Alexx's level.

"This blow to the head, poor thing," she sighed, pointing to the bruising and damage on the woman's head before taking her liver temperature. "Where's the new kid?"

"At the lab, Speed is giving him the grand tour. He seems nice," Calleigh said, not admitting to Alexx she and Eric had met before. "TOD?"

"Liver temp suggests she's been here at least two hours. You were just trying to get your day started, weren't you, sweetie?" Alexx asked the corpse before she gestured for her team to pack her up.

* * *

><p>While processing the scene Calleigh, Speedle and Eric were able to find the gun (a nine-mil), a ski mask in a nearby trash can, a few cigarette butts and tire treads. Calleigh still found herself grinning at the look on Speedle's face when Eric was able to identify the kind of vehicle based on the pattern.<p>

"Impressive," Speedle had said.

Calleigh had test fired the gun they had collected and was now waiting for IBIS to find a match. She watched the processing screen, patiently, when Eric walked into the lab; Calleigh couldn't help but notice his face had turned slightly ashen under his dark skin.

"Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.

"Mm-hmm," Eric nodded. "But I think Speedle hates me."

"Why?" Calleigh asked, though not completely surprised he drew that conclusion, based on Speedle's attitude that morning.

"Let's just say head trauma."

Calleigh understood instantly. To make out the weapon used to hit Tamika, (which, as Alexx had assumed, was what killed her) Alexx had to remove the victim's head and boil it as part of processing. No matter how tough one may be, seeing your first dead body up close in an autopsy theater is bad enough without the absence of its head and she couldn't blame Eric for being—for lack of a better word—freaked out.

"You've made a friend, Eric," Calleigh concluded with a smile.

"That makes sense," he rolled his eyes.

"He hazed you because that's his sense of humor and he only jokes with people he likes. He already likes you, this has to be some kind of record," she though aloud.

"Whatever you say," he grinned. "Anything on the bullets?"

"Not yet, IBIS is still processing. There weren't any workable prints, so I'm hoping the gun is registered."

Eric nodded, his eyes happening to fall on the black lettering on her lab coat, C. Duquesne.

The thought once again dawned on Eric that he didn't know the first name of the beautiful woman in front of him and he only knew her surname because of his ability to read.

"You know, I never caught your name," he said, drawing her eyes back up to his from the screen.

"Oh, right, I'm sorry," Calleigh smiled, realizing how right he was; she didn't give him her name in the garage so many months ago and she didn't formally introduce herself in the locker room. "I'm Calleigh. Calleigh Duquesne."

Eric felt his face form into an even wider smile, he had never heard such a name as Calleigh Duquesne, but it held a certain ring to it he instantly fell in love with.

"Well, Calleigh, now that we're working in same place, we really need to stay in contact," he pulled a piece of paper and slid it over to her. "Number, please."

Calleigh narrowed her eyes, the pick up line he had used on her coming to mind and she couldn't believe that he was, in some way, getting what he wanted.

"Don't get too used to me saying this, but you win," she sighed, pulling the paper and pen over towards her. She tore the paper in half, giving a section to him and gave him an extra pen. "You'd best give me yours, too."

"This is becoming a good day," he said to himself, picking up the pen, not noticing the look Calleigh gave him. "So, word on the street is that you don't date. Is that true?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I date," she said, folding the paper that held her information. "I just don't people I work with."

"Like I said before, we'll see," Eric smirked, but Calleigh just rolled her eyes playfully, she had the feeling this was the beginning of a very interesting friendship.

"Let's start as friends where that gets us," Calleigh suggested, handing him the paper.

"Works for me," he shrugged as she took his phone number from him. "But you will change your mind."

"You'll have forgotten about me by this time next week," she stated, confidently, Eric didn't strike her as the type that kept a girlfriend for too long, let alone an interest in a certain woman.

Eric opened his mouth to say something, Calleigh was certain he was about to protest, but her cell phone cut him off.

"Duquesne?" she answered, putting the phone to her ear.

"We got DNA from the mouth of the ski mask," Speedle said, triumphantly, while simultaneously IBIS finally found a match.

"Let me guess, Mitchell Bishop of Coral Gables?" Calleigh assumed, reading off the gun registration.

"Thanks for stealing my thunder, Cal," he sighed in mock annoyance.

"It's what I do," she smiled, shrugging a shoulder.

"So the gun was registered to him?"

"Bingo…. Tell you what, I'll let you call Horatio," Calleigh offered.

"Deal, is Delko with you?" Speedle asked.

"He is," she nodded, looking up at Eric.

"Send him down, tell him he is about to apprehend his first suspect."

"Will do," Calleigh promised before closing her phone and smiling up at Eric. "Your skills with suspects are about to be put to the test. Speed's waiting for you downstairs."

"Okay," he nodded, eyes lighting up at the challenge before he turned towards the door.

"By the way," she called to Eric, making him turn to face her. "Welcome to CSI Miami."

Eric smiled, broadly. "Glad to be here."

With that, he continued out the door, Calleigh found herself staring at him as he walked away and a slight blush coming to her cheeks when he turned around one more time to give her a final smile, catching her watching him. She dropped her eyes quickly, slightly embarrassed, something that seldom occured for her.

"Come on, Duquesne," she told herself firmly, now certain she was alone. "You know it would never work out."

Calleigh didn't know just how wrong she was.


	2. April

Obviously, I'm continuing this story. This is how it will be, probably, one event each month within Eric and Cal's first year of friendship (and of course flirtations).

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><p>Eric had never thought he'd find happiness in a place so far from what he was used to. But he quickly got use to life at CSI and discovered that this place was his comfort zone. In college, science was what he was good at, something he could master in, he had just never found the right path for him to apply his brains to, but the bills and rent weren't about to wait for him to track down a career that suited him and he got the first job he could find.<p>

Now, lately, he had found himself thanking God every night that being a tow-truck driver wasn't his destiny; being a CSI was. He felt like he belonged amongst Horatio's team and he seemed to be warming up to Speedle and Calleigh very quickly.

He and Speedle had sparked a friendship almost instantly after his first day. They had almost an identical sense of humor and practically the same interest. In fact, it was almost a ritual that every time the guns and badges were up did they go out for a beer, Calleigh joining them.

His feelings for Calleigh never faded, the butterflies still rose in his stomach every time she walked in the room. But she had yet to change her mind about him, she still rolled her eyes whenever he attempted to flirt. But even passed the romance—or lack there of—the two also managed to create a friendship, which he was happy with…for now.

One April night he found himself working late in Fingerprints, resealing all the evidence he had just dusted, having been unable to life anything but smudges. Slightly frustrated that a possible lead in the case had fell through, he begrudgingly took the box of evidence to the evidence locker. He had half a mind to follow the rest of the team's example to go home and try to finish solving the case tomorrow. He signed the evidence into the locker before returning to hang up his lab coat, hoping that tomorrow they would be able to track down a new lead in the case.

As he signed out at the front desk of CSI for the day, he saw someone he didn't expect. Calleigh, who Eric had assumed was already at home by this hour, was walking at a fast pace towards the elevator; he couldn't help but notice the look of slight frustration on her face.

"Hey, Calleigh," he greeted her. "You're here late."

"I'm taking care of a few things in Firearms," she shrugged, not looking up at him, but her voice managing to maintain a friendly tone. She pressed the arrow pointing down on the wall to call the elevator, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

"Yeah," she nodded, turning to give him one of her smiles that was normally reassuring, but right now it was having the opposite affect. "I just have to take care of something. What about you, are you heading home?"

"Yeah, um, I didn't score anything on the prints, they were just smudges," he explained.

"Crap," she muttered. "Maybe we'll get something tomorrow."

"Maybe," Eric nodded, something inside telling him there was something wrong with his colleague.

* * *

><p>Eric had gone down to the locker room, while Calleigh had made a beeline for the doors that exited the lobby. Growing more confused and more concerned, Eric thought about Calleigh as he put up his badge and gun, grabbing his belongings before leaving the building.<p>

But when he made his way towards the parking lot, he heard the sound of someone slamming the hood of a car in frustration.

"Damn it," he heard Calleigh groan in anger.

"Car trouble?" he asked, approaching her.

"Yeah," she sighed with a nod. Eric couldn't recall seeing Calleigh so stressed, she was normally completely happy and collected, much like the sun; now it seemed as though a metaphorical cloud was blocking her optimism.

"It won't start?" he assumed.

"Yep. I've already gotten a jump from somebody, but it's no use. The battery is toast," she said the final part more to herself than Eric.

The sound of a mobile phone filled the nighttime air and made Calleigh sigh in aggravation as she hurriedly dug it out of her pocket.

"Duquesne?…Dad, hey. Don't worry, I'm on my way over," she assured who was on the other side of the conversation. Calleigh took a step or two away from Eric, wanting this conversation to be private. But Eric still clearly heard every word that Calleigh was saying. "No, no, don't try to drive yourself," she said firmly yet patiently. "I'll be there soon, okay?…Okay, bye."

Calleigh ran a pair of frustrated hands through her blonde hair before walking back over to Eric.

"Do you need a ride somewhere?" he asked, helpfully.

"No," she answered a bit too quickly; Eric was taken aback by her tone. "I mean, thanks for the offer, but I'll just get a cab."

"C'mon, Cal, those things are way too expensive. I can give you guys a ride."

Calleigh nibbled on the inside of her cheek debating whether or not to accept his offer. No one she worked with had ever seen her father intoxicated, let alone assist in picking him up from a bar. But she knew if she delayed any longer, Kenwall would potentially find another way of transportation, one that could very well end in disaster.

Desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Thanks, Eric," she half-smiled as they headed away from her vehicle and towards his.

"No problem," he assured her as the two slid inside his car. "So, where are we heading?"

"Whiskey Stop," she sighed.

"I know where that is," he nodded as he put the car in reverse and pulled out of the MDPD parking lot.

"You don't seem surprised," Calleigh said as they headed down the road; she knew Eric had put the pieces together well enough to come to the conclusion that her dad was an alcoholic.

"Um…" Eric rattled his brain for the appropriate thing to say, though he was certain she was aware of the gossip circulating in the lab about her father, but he didn't want to come across as insensitive.

Thankfully, the awkward silence spoke for itself.

She lightly groaned. "Rumor Mill still running, huh?"

"I'm afraid so."

Calleigh shook her head. "I'll clear them up for you. Yes, my father is an alcoholic and, yes, he and my mom are divorced. But, no, I was never abused, raped or forced into joining law enforcement. That just comes from a bunch of bored lab techs who don't know what they are talking about."

"Got it," he promised, giving her a reassuring smile.

She returned with a small grin, a slightly guilty look in her eye. "Sorry, I didn't mean to go off like that. And thanks again, I owe you one."

"It's no problem," he assured her. "I've got your back."

* * *

><p>They continued to drive along the roads of Miami, the only sounds coming from the world outside, the engine and the light music that came from Eric's car radio.<p>

Eric would occasionally glance over at Calleigh; she was sitting up in the seat with her hands folded in her lap as she looked out the window, her eyes distant from the here and now. He didn't attempt to make conversation with her, supposing she wasn't exactly in the mood to casually chat. Instead, they drove down the road into a rural part of the area, where the sidewalk and the buildings blended together in the same dreary shades of gray and black. Most of the businesses had closed their doors for the evening, all of them having closed signs on their windows, the only places that appeared open were a Chinese restaurant that was near vacancy and a bar…_the _bar; Eric pulled up against the sidewalk.

"I'll be right back," Calleigh said, softly, unbuckling her seatbelt, pushing open the door and getting out of the car.

Eric watched as she headed towards the door, her hand reaching up to pull back on the handle and stepping inside. This had been a Calleigh Eric was very unfamiliar with. Her normally happy personality had fizzled out and he was left pondering whether or not the optimism she had was a mask. He wondered if her smiles and attitude was her way of convincing that there was nothing wrong happening in her life. Eric realized he had learned little to nothing about Calleigh, he knew she came from a small town in Louisiana, she had loved guns more than an addict loved his heroin and the rumors she had confirmed and disproved earlier that night.

The door of the bar opened and Calleigh came out, gently holding the arm of a gentleman who was slightly stumbling. He seemed to be trying to make conversation with Calleigh, who was smiling back, but even from where Eric was sitting he could see the pain in her eyes.

Calleigh opened the door to the back of Eric's car. She slowly helped her father into the car, who by this point was muttering words so soft and slurred he was incoherent.

"Dad, this is my friend, Eric Delko. Eric, this is my dad, Kenwall Duquesne," she introduced them as she attempted to bring the seatbelt across her father to strap him in.

"Sir," Eric nodded at him.

Kenwall raised his hand to wave, but it slumped over and any attempt of salutation vanished. Calleigh sighed, heavily, as her father's eyes closed. She closed the door and moved back up to the passenger seat.

Eric asked for Kenwall's address and Calleigh gave it to him, her eyes on the rearview mirror to see her dad's reflection falling asleep.

* * *

><p>The drive to Kenwall's was even more silent than to the Whiskey Stop, even though Kenwall was making a few drunken mumbles in the back. The roads were quiet and no one attempted to make a conversation, in fact it was apparent to Eric that Calleigh was resisting any contact with Eric, staring at the rearview mirror or eyes looking out her window the entire drive.<p>

"This the place?" Eric asked, pulling up to a house just outside the city.

"Yeah," Calleigh nodded, unbuckling herself and turned to give him a smile, lowering her voice slightly to keep the moment private. "It's probably going to take a while to get him to bed, so I'll just grab a cab home."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Thanks again, Eric," she said, gratefully, opening the door.

"Anytime," he reassured her, but when the word escaped his lips, he realized that "anytime" may not have been the most appropriate word for this situation.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Calleigh said as she stepped out of the car. "Come on, Dad," she said patiently as she helped her father carefully out of the car. Calleigh gave Eric a final smile and wave before she and Kenwall headed up towards his house.

Even after they were inside did Eric linger for just a few moments, almost waiting for her to come back outside, knowing all the while she wouldn't be emerging from the house any time soon. Eventually, Eric pulled away and drove into the night.

* * *

><p>Calleigh awoke the next morning to a knock at the door. She pulled her still exhausted self out of bed and pulled on her dressing gown over her pajamas.<p>

She pulled open her door to be greeted by a vase of pink tulips being held by her now sober father; his eyes were twinkling with an apologetic shine and his face was guilty.

"Lambchop, I'm so sorry," Kenwall said as his daughter stepped aside to let him in.

Despite all the years in this ritual of dealing with her father's alcoholism, Calleigh didn't always know how to reply to the apologies, especially on nights like the previous one. She had found that sometimes the best thing to say was nothing at all and change the subject.

"Come on, Dad," she said, taking the vase from his hand and placing a hand on his back to guide him to the dining room table. "I'll make us some coffee."

Kenwall gave her a small grin as he took a seat, folding his hands on the table and constantly readjusting how his fingers were arranged.

"So what happened with that trial yesterday?" Calleigh asked, assuming her father's urge to drink had been triggered by a bitter result for the Defense.

"Prosecutors convinced a key witness to testify last minute. Until she stepped up, I was certain that I would have gotten my client off, or at least a lesser charge," he shook his hand.

"What did he end up receiving?"

"A life sentence," Kenwall sighed, running his hand through his graying hair. "I think I'm losing my touch, Calleigh."

"Oh, Dad, I'm sure that's not true," Calleigh insisted as the coffee maker gurgled.

"I'm losing cases left and right," he shook his head; Calleigh knew for him to admit that must have left a bad taste in his mouth.

Calleigh pulled two mugs from the cupboard above her. "There are days when I don't hit where I want, but I get the bulls-eye the following morning. We all bounce back," she said, reassuringly, as she poured coffee into the cups. "But you don't need to drink just because you're having a bad streak."

"I know, Lambchop, and I feel awful, just awful. I had went two months without a drink and…I don't even remember going to the bar," he sighed; Calleigh just grinned, sadly, and placed the coffee in front of him. "And that fella who was with you…what did you say his name was? Aaron?"

"Eric," she corrected, taking a seat across from him.

"Right, tell him I'm really sorry about being in that state in front of him."

"I will," Calleigh promised, sipping some of her coffee.

They sat in silence for a moment, drinking their beverages and enjoying the silence. That was until her father cleared his throat.

"So, what's he like?" Kenwall asked, curiously.

"Eric? He's nice," Calleigh said, simply.

"And are you two…together?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes. "No, Dad. We're friends and he was kind enough to help out."

"Well, if he as nice as you say, he could be good for you," Kenwall pointed out.

"Dad," she sighed, shaking her head in minor frustration before flashing him a smile. "First of all, he's probably seeing somebody." Speedle had given a few hints that Eric hadn't been spending every night alone when he went home to his condo; it sometimes scared Calleigh that Speedle and Eric had become so close so fast they felt they could tell one another that kind of thing. "Secondly, I just started this job, I really don't want to get involved with anybody right now."

The disappointment of the news of her sabbatical from dating was clear on Kenwall's face. He sighed, sadly, and leaned forward. "Honey, I'm not getting any younger and I want to make sure there is someone there to take care of my Lambchop."

Calleigh smiled and placed a hand over her father's. "Dad, your Lambchop can take care of herself."

"I know," he smiled before gulping down the remains of his coffee. "Well, I should be getting to work."

"Yeah, me too," Calleigh nodded as they got to their feet. She smiled at her father and wrapped her arms around his neck, he returned her embrace. "Let's make last night's incident our last, okay?" she suggested, though she knew it was a request she had made in vain.

"Okay," he agreed, leaning out of her arms. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Calleigh said as he left the table and headed towards the door. She heard his car back out of her driveway and drive down the road until it faded away. She sighed and headed to the bathroom, turning on the shower to prepare for the day of work that awaited her.


	3. May

Hallelujah, I've finally updated! Sorry about the delay, had a BAD case of writer's block on this story.

* * *

><p>Calleigh hadn't been entirely sure when she and Speedle had become good friends, she had difficulty pinpointing the exact moment. All she remembered was one day he was the new investigator on the team, then they were acquaintances, and then they were constantly making plans to grab a drink after work. With Eric, however, the moment they became friends was easy to find; their first intense bond of a friendship came that night Eric had been kind enough to offer his assistance when it came to picking up her intoxicated father and then not bringing up the subject the following day at work. In that moment, Calleigh had developed a trust in Eric and she was certain their friendship would become one of the strongest she would ever possess.<p>

The main ritual the trio had conjured over the last few months consisted of going to a recently opened bar and grill, just minutes from PD, every Friday after work.

"Here's your food," their waitress said, her red lips pulling into a smile and revealing her dimples, her piercing blue eyes going back and forth between Eric and Speedle. "Let me know if I can get you anything else."

She gave them another smile before walking towards another of her tables, the eyes of the men following her as she traveled.

"Men," Calleigh sighed, shaking her head. "You guys were putty in her hands."

"Don't know what you're talking about," Speedle stated, pouring A1 sauce on his steak.

"Please, I know you guys. Y'all see a woman who's gorgeous, gives you a smile and you are weak at the knees."

"That's why Delko is in love with you," Speedle mumbled so low Calleigh couldn't hear; Eric beside him, however, could.

"I'm not in love with her," he insisted just as quietly.

Speedle shook his head and began to cut into his meat. Perhaps Eric wasn't in love with Calleigh, but he saw the way he would look at her occasionally and one couldn't help drawing certain ideas, despite the fact Speedle knew Eric had the occasional girlfriend—girlfriends that never seemed to last long.

"I'm just saying every time we come here one of you is eye-balling some cute girl," she shrugged.

"It's in a guy's DNA, Cal," Eric shrugged a shoulder.

Calleigh rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say. But, Tim, what about your girlfriend?"

"Yeah, man, what happened to Allison?" Eric asked, curiously.

"Over," he said, nonchalantly. "It just wasn't working out."

"Sorry, Tim," Calleigh said, sympathetically.

"Don't be, it's not a big deal." Speedle paused to take a swig of beer before continuing. "Besides, this means I don't have to add a sidecar to my bike."

Calleigh laughed as she picked up her burger and took a bite. "You guys are insane," she commented after swallowing.

"This coming from the woman who shoots for a living?" Eric questioned.

"Hey, it comes from being born and raised in the South, my friend," she shrugged. "Don't be jealous because I can out shoot you any day of the week."

"She's got you there, Delko," Speedle said, turning to his friend, who shrugged nonchalantly. "But, Cal, speaking of guys who stare at attractive women, there's a guy at the bar who has been looking this way all night."

Calleigh felt her cheeks flush to light crimson as she subtly turned in the direction of the bar. Sure enough, there was a gentleman with sandy hair sitting on a barstool, he awkwardly turned away when she faced him, he suddenly became preoccupied with the napkin in front of him.

Eric chuckled a little at the expression on Calleigh's face as she turned back to her food. "You've already broken the poor kid's heart and you haven't even talked to him," Eric sighed before taking a sip of beer.

"I have not," Calleigh retaliated. "I'm just not the type to flirt with someone I don't know."

"What about that manager yesterday?" he challenged, speaking in regards to a case they worked the previous day when they had to speak to a manager to a hotel, he had refused to hand over the lists of guests at the hotel until Calleigh began to smile attractively and used her feminine charms to their advantage.

"That was different, he had the list and we didn't have time to wait for a warrant," she said as she nibbled on a fry.

"Point taken," Eric nodded.

"Anyway, enough with the romantics," Calleigh said, swiftly changing the subject. "Have you guys met the new lab tech in DNA?"

"Yeah," Speedle nodded. "She's not too bad."

"I haven't met her. What's she like?" he asked.

"Her name is Maxine Valera and she's a sweetheart," Calleigh smiled. "She was so thrilled to be there today."

"Congrats, Delko, you're not the new kid anymore," Speedle joked, thumping Eric on the back.

"Great," Eric stated nonchalantly.

"But you're still considered the rooky of the team," Calleigh teased.

"When will I outgrow that title?" Eric asked curiously.

"Whenever we get a new team member," Speedle replied.

"Come on, that could be years," he complained.

Calleigh laughed at her friend's playfulness as she looked down the aisle to see someone approaching, her lips cherry red with recently reapplied lipstick.

"Your friend is back, guys," Calleigh murmured just before the all too excited waitress arrived back at their booth.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, only looking at Eric and Speedle as she reached up to tuck some jet black hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, we're good. Thanks," Eric nodded, giving her a grateful smile that instantly made the waitress blush and mutter a weak, "okay," before tending to other customers.

"And you guys say _I'm_ a heart breaker," Calleigh scoffed. "That poor girl."

The sound of a cell phone stopped their conversation; Speedle groaned and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"Yeah, this is Speedle," he sighed into the receiver. "Yeah….What's the problem?" he rolled his eyes in frustration. "Damn it, you've got to be kidding….'Kay, I'll be right there."

Speedle hung up his phone. "Sorry, guys, but I gotta leave this party."

"What's the problem?" Eric asked, getting to his feet to allow Speedle to slide out of the booth.

"Just something with one of my cases," he sighed, annoyed. "Have fun for me, I'll see you both tomorrow."

"See you, man," Eric said, sitting back down.

"Bye, Tim," Calleigh said with a sad grin; Speedle nodded in their direction a final time before leaving the restaurant.

"Guess it's just you and me, my friend," Calleigh observed, taking a sip of beer.

"Yeah, I guess so," he nodded.

Seldom did Eric have the opportunity to spend time with Calleigh without anyone else around, especially outside of work. Their lack of quality time prevented him from getting to know more about her than the limited information already gathered; she was private at work, never talking about her personal life and keeping it as professional as she could manage. Tonight could be one of those rare opportunities in which he would have the time to learn about the woman that was Calleigh Duquesne.

"Can I ask you a question?" Eric spoke up, seizing his chance.

"Well, you just did, but go ahead and ask another," she teased.

Eric laughed at that before continuing. "What made you want to become a CSI?"

"Why do you want to know?" Calleigh asked, curious about _his _curiosity.

"Just wondering how does a girl from Louisiana come to Miami and decide to be a criminalist, of all things," he replied smoothly.

Calleigh smiled a little. "Simple, I'm in love with guns and the only career that ever interested me was law enforcement. I always did well in science so, when I learned I could get a career like this, things kind of just fell into place."

"And you couldn't do that in Louisiana?" Eric was still attempting to read her, despite the fact she was very much a closed book, Calleigh could sense that. She had developed enough trust in Eric over the limited time he had been at PD to give him at least some minor insight to her life. She decided to keep her answers to the point and a little bit vague, however clear enough to avoid further questioning.

"If you grew up in Darnell, you would want to relocate after a while, too," she grinned.

Eric chuckled at that. "Small town that you couldn't wait to leave?" he assumed.

"Something like that," Calleigh nodded, not mention her family's contributions to making her want to leave her hometown.

Calleigh didn't want to risk further questions about Louisiana, fearing they could lead to difficult questions about her folks, and she quickly—yet subtly—changed the subject. "Does this mean I get to ask you a question now?" Calleigh asked.

"I guess," Eric shrugged, uncertain what she could possibly want to ask him.

"What's your family like?"

"Now, why do _you_ want to know _that_?" he restated her own question from earlier.

Calleigh picked up her burger. "I just want to get to know you a little, that's all. Because, when I think about it, all I know about you is you were a tow-truck driver-."

"Automotive Recovery Expert," Eric corrected.

"Right," she rolled her eyes. "You did that, you love the water, you love cars, and you have cheesy pick-up lines. That's pretty much it," she said before taking a bite of her burger.

"Okay, fair point," he surrendered. "Well, my mom is Cuban, my dad is Russian. They came to America just before I was born and that's pretty much it."

"Any siblings?"

Eric looked at his food for a moment and sighed. "I have three older sisters."

"Oh," Calleigh chortled, sympathetically. "That must have been…something, being the only boy."

"Yeah," he nodded. "By the time I was in the fifth grade I'd heard more about menstruation than any boy ever should."

At that, Calleigh couldn't contain her laughter and she had to cover her mouth with her hands to muffle the sound.

"That's funny," she was finally able to say when she recovered. "But at least whenever you get married you're going to be prepared for it…unless it scared you out of getting married."

Eric laughed. "No, if I can survive three sisters, I can survive anything."

"Do all your sisters live in Miami?" Calleigh asked.

"Yeah, one of them is actually getting married here in a few months," Eric said.

"That's nice," she commented. "Do you like her fiancé?"

"I didn't at first," he admitted.

"Really? Why not?"

"Because, apparently, I'm an overprotective brother," Eric rolled his eyes.

Calleigh nodded. "I can believe that."

"But he's not that bad, I guess," he reluctantly confessed. "What's your family like?"

Calleigh shrugged a shoulder, evidently uninterested in the topic. "Nothing special, really. My mom lives back in Darnell and, well, you saw my dad lives here."

"Does he like Miami?" Eric asked.

"He likes it okay, I suppose," Calleigh said. "But he always says there's nothing like Louisiana."

"Do _you_ like it here?"

"God, yes," she said, a wide smile spreading across her face. "I absolutely love it here."

"I can tell," he laughed as her enthusiasm. "So you'll never go back home?"

"I doubt it," Calleigh admitted. "Besides, I'm starting to think of Miami as my home."

"Well," he said, raising his beer. "To Miami."

Calleigh chortled and clinked her bottle to his. "To Miami."

They took a drink and a comfortable silence fell between them as they ate a little bit of their meal. At one point the waitress returned to collect the plate that Speedle had left and she gave Eric a weak smile, seeming on edge now observing that Calleigh and Eric were alone; there was no mistaken the slightly disheartened gleam in her eyes.

"So, I've never really asked, but how do you like being a CSI?" Calleigh asked.

Eric's answer was immediate. "It's great. Can't believe I didn't choose it as a career sooner."

"Hey, better late than never," Calleigh pointed out.

"Definitely, I didn't want to be a truck driver the rest of my life," he admitted.

"I thought you liked that job?" she asked, a little confused.

"Oh, I did, but I didn't exactly want to be pulling cars out of the Everglades twenty years from now," Eric explained.

"You'd rather be looking at dead bodies and killers, right?" Calleigh smiled.

"Exactly," he said, pointing at her. "You ever work a different job other than CSI?"

"Patrol, that's pretty much it," she shrugged.

"So, you've never been in a job where you don't have to carry a gun?"

"Um…well, I babysat my neighbor's kids every now and then when I was a teenager and I waited tables through college; do those count?"

Eric chuckled. "Sure."

"But, in all honesty, I've been around law my entire life," Calleigh sighed. "I couldn't really see myself doing anything as a career that doesn't involve law or guns."

"And for some reason that doesn't surprise me," he said, his lips rising into a half-smile.

Their conversation continued and deepened through the rest of their meal and even afterward. When their conversation began to dwindle in the slightest, they looked up and realized many of the customers had left the restaurant and they figured it would now be appropriate to pay for their food and depart.

"Come again," the waitress smiled sweetly on their way out.

"Will do," Eric promised and Calleigh could hear the other waitresses giggling just as the door closed; Calleigh rolled her eyes at the girls so easily swooned.

"This was a fun night," she commented as they walked towards their cars.

"Yeah, I had a great time," Eric agreed. "Too bad Speed had to leave."

"I know, but, there's always next time," she reminded him when she reached her car.

"Yeah," he nodded. "So I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Bright and early," Calleigh said with a smile, digging out her keys and unlocking her door. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," he replied as Calleigh loaded herself into her car and started the engine. He watched as she pulled out of the parking lot and into the road before, with a smile, going towards his own car. He was satisfied for tonight having learned more about his tough-as-nails colleague, but he had the feeling there was a deeper level to her personality than he had realized and one he was determined to discover more of in the near future.


	4. June

Eric stepped into the break room as the workday began. He was welcomed by the unpleasant sound of a very chesty cough. Calleigh was standing by the counter, her face livid, nose red and a few strands of hair astray from her normally flawless bun.

"Are you okay?" Eric asked, concerned, as he began to pour some coffee into a mug.

She cleared her throat and nodded, pulling out a glass to fill with water and Alka-Seltzer Cold tablets. Eric took another look at how ill she appeared, despite her attempt to dismiss her symptoms and cover up her red nose with make-up; he couldn't help but wonder if being at CSI was the best option for her today.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay to work?" he questioned, his opinion coming through clearly in his tone.

"Yep," Calleigh nodded with sheer certainty as she dropped the Alka-Seltzer into the water and watched them dissolve. "I never miss unless I'm dead or dying."

"Apparently," Eric mumbled, stirring in cream and sugar into his coffee. "But living like that can't be too healthy."

"Well, too late to be worrying about my health going bad….Cheers," she added with a grin, holding up her fizzy drink; Eric couldn't resist smiling and clinking his mug against her glass.

Calleigh chugged down the medication in a few gulps, shuddering at the taste after a final swallow.

"Refreshing," she smiled, unconvincingly.

"Morning," Speedle greeted them as he entered the break room, his eyes falling on Calleigh's pallid features. "You don't look so good."

"Good morning to you, too, Tim," she sighed with a roll of her eyes.

"She's sick but didn't want to stay home," Eric explained before taking another drink of coffee.

"It's just a little cold. I'm fine," Calleigh shrugged, but her statement was followed by a series of heavy coughs that contradicted her words.

"Yeah, you're just fine," Speedle mumbled, ignoring the look shot at him by Calleigh, whose phone began to ring.

"Duquesne?" she said, hoarsely, her eyes watering slightly.

"Has she always been that stubborn?" Eric turned to quietly ask Speedle as Calleigh talked on the phone.

"Mm-hmm," he hummed with a nod.

"Got it," Calleigh said before hanging up and turning to her colleagues. "We've got a case in the Gables, we need to get out there."

"What you need is a large dosage of chicken soup," Speedle said under his breath, but Calleigh was already out the door and determined to get to the crime scene.

* * *

><p>"Baby, you look like hell," Alexx shook her head when she saw the puffy eyed woman at the crime scene.<p>

"Much like our friend here," Calleigh replied, gesturing to the bloodied corpse of fifty-two-year old Jerry Williamson lying in the driveway. He appeared to have taken a direct stab to the face, leaving an ugly gash just over his left eyebrow. His blood had dried black on his face and stained the sidewalk in which he lied, his hazel eyes still wide and held the state of surprise even in death. Calleigh shook her head at the cruelty that had been placed upon the victim as she knelt down on the ground beside Alexx.

"I'd place time of death around midnight to two AM," Alexx reported, but Calleigh began to cough halfway through her statement. Calleigh had turned her head away from the body and coughed into her sleeve as to not contaminate the evidence around her.

"Sorry, Alexx," she apologized, her voice cracking. "What was that?"

"TOD between twelve and two this morning," she repeated. "Sweetie, go home, rest is the fastest way to feeling better."

"I feel great," Calleigh lied, getting to her feet. "You'll let me know when the autopsy is done, right?"

"Honey, don't I always?" Alexx replied, looking at Calleigh over the rims of her sunglasses.

"Of course you do," she grinned as she headed towards the lieutenant. Horatio stood overseeing the crime scene, slowly committing every detail to memory and Calleigh knew his gaze was intense, despite the black shades that covered his piercing blue eyes.

"Any sight of a potential murder weapon?" Calleigh asked him.

"Not yet," Horatio replied, his hands placed firmly on his hips as he looked in the direction of the blood pool. Calleigh saw his eyebrows knit together and he reached up to remove his sunglasses as he stepped towards the red liquid.

"Calleigh, take a look at this, please," he said as he bent down beside it; Calleigh came down to his level and instantly saw a disturbance in the blood.

"Looks like our killer stepped in his victim's blood," she commented as she snapped a couple of pictures with her camera.

"And he left us a trail," Horatio observed, seeing a repeating footprint of blood move down the street before fading out; Calleigh photographed them as well.

* * *

><p>"Based on this pattern, I'd say it's a guy's shoe, around size nine," Speedle said when he looked at the pictures of the print Calleigh had taken at the scene.<p>

"It's a start," Calleigh sighed, sliding the picture back into the manila folder as they proceeded down the hallway. "Maybe Alexx found something. I should go check on the autopsy."

"No, _I'll_ check the autopsy," Speedle insisted.

"Why?" Calleigh asked in disbelief.

"Because if you go down there and smell decaying flesh, in your state, you'd probably lose your breakfast."

"Doubt it," she mumbled. "I didn't eat any breakfast."

Whether Speedle simply didn't hear the comment or chose to ignore her was beyond Calleigh; either way, Speedle walked away from her and down to Autopsy.

Calleigh rolled her eyes and entered Fingerprints where Eric was dusting a print off of a wallet.

"What've you got?" she asked, pulling on her lab coat.

"Alexx sent up the clothes and belongings from the vic before she cut him open. Nada on the clothes, but there are several prints on the wallet…the empty wallet," he said as he delicately twirled the brush.

"No cash, no ID, no credit cards?"

"Nothing. We're keeping an eye out to see if his credit card is charged or his bank account is accessed," Eric said as he scanned the fingerprint and began to run it through AFIS. "But hopefully this will also give us something."

"Yeah," Calleigh nodded, pausing to clear her throat. "Hopefully."

Eric opened his mouth to ask her if she was feeling any better, but his phone rang loudly within his pocket and he didn't have the opportunity as he answered the phone.

"This is Delko," he spoke into the receiver. "Really? Where?...Okay, great, they bringing him in?...Awesome, I'll meet you down there."

"What've they got?" she asked when Eric hung up his phone.

"They caught someone trying to buy a plane ticket to San Diego trying to use Jerry Williamson's credit card. Patrol is picking him up right now," Eric reported.

"Okay, well you go downstairs and I'll wait on AFIS," Calleigh offered.

"Okay, thanks," he said, shrugging out of his lab coat and hanging it on the rack. "By the way, how're you feeling?"

This was apparently the wrong question to ask, for Calleigh's face turned into a scowl and she turned to face him, her eyes greatly aggravated.

"Eric, I forgot to tell you something about me," she glowered. "I _hate it_ when people check in on me like I'm a five-year-old."

He held his hands up innocently. "Sorry, I was just worried."

Eric turned on his heel and began to push open the door; meanwhile guilt automatically began to swarm Calleigh. Her harsh reaction wasn't warranted; she shouldn't be upset simply because a friend was expressing concern about her wellbeing.

"Eric," she called to him before he completely exited the lab. "I'm sorry. I'm fine, thanks for asking."

He stepped back towards the workbench to stand beside Calleigh, giving her a friendly smile to show he wasn't offended.

"Do you want to know something?" he asked.

"Sure," Calleigh replied. "Why not?"

Eric leaned in a little to make the conversation private, despite the fact they were alone in the Fingerprint lab. "No one is going to hold it against you if you take a day off. We all need a day off every now and then," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I know," Calleigh nodded, keeping her voice at regular level. "But we have a duty here. We took an oath to protect and serve, no matter what. And if a little cold is enough to stop me from fulfilling that duty, then how am I supposed to be able to withhold it when faced in a worse situation."

Eric didn't know what he had expected Calleigh's response to be, but it certainly wasn't something_ that_ heavy.

"What are you still doing here?" Calleigh demanded, her lip then curling up into a smile. "You've got a suspect."

Eric nodded. "Right, I'd better go take care of that."

He exited the lab, still in complete and utter awe of the words swimming in his mind; he had, without a doubt, gained a brand new respect for Calleigh Duquesne.

* * *

><p>Calleigh stepped into the interrogation room with a manila folder in hand, walking in on Horatio and Eric were questioning a young man.<p>

"Hold that thought," Horatio ordered to the man before stepping towards Calleigh in the corner. "Did you find something?"

"I did, I'm assuming this kid's name is Craig Moorly?" she asked.

"It is," Horatio nodded.

Calleigh grinned and pulled out the AFIS profile. "His print was the one on the wallet. I'm going to take a wild guess and say he's been telling you that he saw the dead body and took an early payday?"

"Correct."

"Do his shoes match the prints found at the scene?"

"Let's find out," Horatio said, stepping back to Moorly. "Craig, what size shoe do you where?" Horatio demanded.

"Seven-and-a-half," Moorly replied, confused by the question.

Eric, Calleigh and Horatio shared a slightly frustrated and defeated look; the suspect noticed.

"Can I go?" Moorly asked, eagerly; it wasn't going to be that easy.

"You just tried to use a dead man's credit card to buy a plane ticket, my friend. You aren't going anywhere," Horatio informed him before exiting the room.

* * *

><p>"Please tell me Alexx found something," Calleigh sighed when she saw Speedle. "Because our only suspect claims to just be a robber and we have nothing to suggest he actually killed our vic."<p>

"Just so happens, we do," Speedle said, holding up the bag Alexx had given him. "Skin under our friends' nails; he may have tried to ward off his attacker."

"Excellent, hopefully the DNA is in CODIS," she said as they stepped into the DNA lab where Valera stood, almost as though she had been waiting for them.

"Okay, Valera," Speedle sing-sung as he handed over the evidence bag containing the epithelials. "Work your magic."

"Don't I always?" Valera smiled, taking the bag before catching a glimpse of Calleigh's face. "Whoa, are you alright?"

"She's sick and thinks she must stay here," Speedle answered for Calleigh, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

"Do I look that bad?" Calleigh asked, ignoring his remark.

"No, your eyes just look a bit puffy," Valera assured her as she began her task. "I thought you were upset or something."

"Well, I'm fine, don't worry," she grinned.

"Gotcha," Valera smiled with a wink. "I'll call you guys when I get the results."

"Thanks," she said as they left the DNA lab.

"You're a liar, Calleigh," Speedle sighed.

"I didn't lie," she insisted as they headed down the hall.

"Please, _'I'm fine, don't worry',_" he mimicked Calleigh's Southern accent.

"I do not sound like that," Calleigh protested.

"True, today you sound more nasally because you're congested."

Calleigh gaped at him. "Has anyone ever told you that you can be an ass?"

"Yeah, on a few occasions," he admitted. "Listen, you're sick, you are going to contaminate all the members of the lab with this sickness of yours, so do yourself and the city of Miami a favor and go home."

Calleigh pursed her lips and crossed her arms. "Tim, you've known me for a while now, so you should know better than to _tell _me to go home."

"I'm just telling you what everyone else is thinking," he shrugged in a justifying tone. "And it's probably for your own good."

Speedle turned on his heel and headed in the direction away from Calleigh. She rolled her eyes and stepped back into the DNA lab.

"You don't have to babysit me, Calleigh," Valera joked as she worked.

"I know," she grinned. "I just figured it'd wait here."

"Suit yourself," Valera shrugged as she pressed the button of the centrifuge. "Is there a reason you look slightly annoyed or am I imagining it?"

Calleigh shook her head. "It's nothing."

"In other words, people are driving you nuts because they keep telling you to go home?" she asked.

"How'd you guess?" Calleigh said as she wiped a hand across her clammy forehead.

"I just know these things," Valera replied with a smile.

Calleigh chuckled a little to herself; it was nice having another woman in the lab to talk to every now and then, one who was positive and had a different intake on situations.

"They only act that way because they care," Valera said as the DNA began to process through CODIS. "They think a lot of you, you know."

"And I appreciate that, but they don't have to be worried-."

"You know, Calleigh, it's not a bad thing to let people be concerned once and awhile," she pointed out.

"I know, but in this situation it is completely unnecessary," Calleigh said as the computer bleeped.

"CODIS found a match," Valera reported. "Ben Downey."

"I'll let Horatio know," Calleigh said, pausing to cough for a moment. "Thanks, Valera."

* * *

><p>The team successfully apprehended Ben Downey at his home just outside of Coral Gables, where they found the murder weapon: a letter opener. Downey said his motive behind the murder was that Williamson owed him money from a poker game and had yet to pay up, thus he took matters into his own hands. Calleigh was relieved when the case was over and she could return home. That night and as she kicked off her shoes and made her way to the couch, she had never been so thankful to lie down on her couch and slip away into sleep. Her voice had by this point all but vanished, her eyes constantly watered and she had been receiving a series of chills and flushes the entire day.<p>

She was wrapped a blanket and resting when a light knock at the door pulled Calleigh from her semi-conscious state, though she didn't open her eyes.

"It's open," she called out, her voice hoarse and sore.

The door clicked open as Calleigh pulled her blanket tighter around her. She heard the sound of footsteps approaching her couch and she finally lifted her heavy eyelids to see Eric standing over her with a plastic bag in his hand.

"What are you doing here?" she asked with a grin.

"Well, I know you said you hate missing work, but you really shouldn't be working when you're this sick," Eric said.

"Eric-."

"So," he cut across her. "I'm here to cure you."

Calleigh raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"

"Okay, well at least try to," he shrugged.

"How…." Calleigh racked her brain for the right word as she slowly sat up, "chivalrous of you."

"I try," he smirked taking a seat beside her on the couch and he began to withdraw the contents from the bag. "I have orange juice, with tons of Vitamin C." He placed the plastic bottle of yellow-orange liquid on the table before pulling out a can of, the classic remedy, chicken soup. "Good old-fashioned Campbell's Chicken Noodle." He placed that beside the juice and reached back into the bag to retrieve a bottle medicine (its contents a dark purple), some Saltines, and then a bag of honey flavored cough drops.

"Aw, everything needed to cure any illness," Calleigh smiled. "Thank you."

"Not a problem," he assured her. "So, are you feeling any better?"

Calleigh chuckled and decided to answer honestly. "No, not really."

Eric was still amazed she could feel so completely lousy, yet somehow manage to keep a radiant smile present on her face and a joyful spark in her voice, even through the croakiness of her throat.

"Oh, one more thing," Eric suddenly remembered, pulling yet another item of out the bag.

She laughed. "You know, with you constantly pulling stuff out of that bag, I'm going have to start calling you the Wizard of Oz."

"Cute," Eric chortled as he handed her the object from the bag, it was a get well soon card; he had brought all of the other clichéd remedies, he figured one more couldn't hurt.

On the front of the card stood a police officer with a speech bubble above his head reading, _Get well soon…._When Calleigh opened the card and inside the description read, _…or I'll shoot. _Calleigh smiled a little at the card and scribbled at the bottom was the phrase "feel better" with Eric, Speedle, Alexx, Horatio and Valera's names written at the bottom.

Calleigh wasn't accustomed to this, having people concerned about her health and wellbeing. Any illness or injury she'd ever had, no matter how major or minor, always seemed to be the least of everyone's concerns in her past, even her own. This feeling was refreshing and delightful, to know she had friends who didn't see her as just the gunslinger or the blonde with the badge, but a woman who sometimes wasn't at her optimum state and took it into consideration. Suddenly, she felt guilty for being harsh to those who had expressed concern about her and she realized what Valera said was right; maybe it wasn't a bad thing to let people be concerned once and awhile.

"I appreciate all this, Eric," Calleigh grinned at him. "Thanks again."

"And again, no problem," he smiled in reply. "Hopefully, this'll be enough to make you feel better by tomorrow."

Calleigh reached over to open the bag of lozenges on the table, unwrapping one from its individual packet and popped it in her mouth.

"I'm feeling better already."


	5. July

"Since they were already married, can this really be classified as a wedding?" Speedle asked Calleigh as he joined her. Alexx and Henry Woods had taken advantage of the kind July weather to renew their vows in front of their friends and family. The celebration wasn't too extravagant, however definitely formal. Their minister from their original wedding oversaw the ceremony in the venue, but outside was where the reception now took place under a white tent, the day too beautiful to be tucked inside.

Calleigh rolled her eyes. "It's a vow renewal, Tim; it's supposed to be romantic."

"Whatever you say, Cal," he shrugged as they approached the buffet table where they saw Eric being handed a beer by a server in a bright red waistcoat.

"Well, if I ever get married, I'm going to skip out on the fancy food and decorations. It'll be just me and my bride."

"Wow, that'll be one lucky girl," Calleigh said with a hint of sarcasm. "She'll have married the most romantic man in the U.S.A."

"What are you guys talking about?" Eric asked when they came into hearing distance.

"Tim's one-day wedding," Calleigh stated.

"Yeah, right," Eric joked. "Who'd be nuts enough to marry you?"

"I think the same thing about the women who sleep with _you_," Speedle shrugged. "I'll have a beer," he added to the waiter.

"And you, ma'am?" the server asked Calleigh.

"Same please," she replied with a friendly smile.

They were handed their beverages and Speedle excused himself to speak to Horatio, leaving Eric and Calleigh standing at the table.

"I see you didn't bring a date," Eric commented before taking a drink.

"Neither did you," Calleigh replied.

"I like to fly solo every now and then," Eric said innocently.

"Calleigh!" exclaimed a man with brown hair and piercing blue eyes; Calleigh turned in his direction and she fought to maintain the smile on her face.

"Steve," she greeted him warily. "I didn't know you were coming."

"Yeah," he nodded excitedly, his voice raising a few octaves. "Alexx invited me….Damn, you look—you look great—no, amazing—no, beautiful."

The color of Calleigh's cheeks blushed into a deep red. "Um, thanks, Steve, t-that's sweet."

"Hey, do you want to dance?" Steve asked, a tad too eagerly.

"Well…" Calleigh hesitated as her stomach twisted into a series of knots at the thought; it was apparent to Eric that Calleigh didn't want to partake in any form of dancing with Steve.

"Actually, we were just about to do that," Eric said, casually wrapping his arm around Calleigh's waist; he heard Calleigh release a quiet sigh of relief.

"Maybe some other time," she said to Steve apologetically.

Steve nodded in mild disappointment and watched as Eric and Calleigh proceeded onto the dance floor.

"I owe you one," she whispered as they began to sway together, her hand in his while the other rested on his shoulder; his was softly resting on the small of her back. Calleigh hadn't expected to feel this comfortable dancing with anyone, let alone Eric, but this somehow seemed to work without effort.

"It's no problem. Who was that guy anyway?" Eric asked.

"Steve," she rolled her eyes. "He works in the morgue at night. We sometimes talked when I worked late then he started to get a bit…"

"Of a crush on you," he smirked.

"It's not funny, it's disturbing," she declared. "We went out for one drink as friends and suddenly he decided to cling like a leech."

"That's what happens when you are the only female CSI currently at MDPD," Eric informed her.

"They'll be plenty of others there soon enough."

"I doubt that'll change Steve's mind about you," he pointed out, the same smile still planted on his face.

"_Eric_," she groaned.

"It's true," he said innocently. "I'm sure a few others feel that way too."

Calleigh shook her head; Eric had to be exaggerating. "Name one," she dared.

"You know John Hagen?" Eric asked.

"Hagen? As in Raymond Caine's detective?" she asked; he nodded. "Yeah, what about him?"

Eric shrugged a shoulder. "A reliable source has said he has the slightest interest on a woman in Firearms that happens to be from Louisiana."

Calleigh wasn't sure whether or not to believe this or not, seldom did she believe anything unless she saw it or had evidence of it. Regardless if the rumor was true or not, Calleigh still wasn't looking for any sort of romantic attachment.

"I really don't see me and John Hagen forming any kind of relationship," she admitted.

"Stranger things have happened," Eric said with a shrug.

"That doesn't mean it will. But, anyway, thanks for doing this," Calleigh grinned in appreciation. "I never took you for the dancing type."

"I made an exception," he shrugged with a wink of his eye and Calleigh grinned, both flattered and a little embarrassed. "Besides, I've got your back."

"That's good to hear. And if you ever want to get out of a date, just let me know," Calleigh smiled.

"I'm going to hold you to that," Eric playfully warned.

"I figured that," she smirked.

They continued to sway, smiling a little at the fact they were probably completely out of rhythm with the music, but that insecurity ceased as the final notes of the song ended and the dancers on the floor stopped, some stepping off of the dance area and back to the side.

"I give you guys a ten for style," Valera smiled as Eric and Calleigh joined her and Speedle. "However your technique needs a little work."

"Shoot," Calleigh sighed in mock disappointment. "Does that mean you and Speed are going to show us how it's done?"

"Not a chance," he said; they chuckled a little at Speedle's reluctance. On the other side of the tent stood Alexx and Henry; he was wearing a black tuxedo while she wore a mermaid wedding gown. He had an arm wrapped around her slender waist and tenderly kissed her hair; her ruby colored lips slid into a smile and her knuckle smoothed up the side of his cheek.

"Must be nice," Valera grinned. "You know, to be so in love."

"I wouldn't know," Speedle confessed. "The closest I've ever gotten to love was some relationships that never went anywhere."

"I know what you mean," Valera sighed. "I'm always a bridesmaid, never a bride."

"Don't worry, Maxine, you've got plenty of time to find Mr. Right," Calleigh assured her.

"I know, but I'm impatient," she groaned.

"Clearly," Eric smirked.

Valera ignored his remark as she took a sip of her champagne and swayed a little; Calleigh merrily thought about how much she had had and how tipsy she would probably be before the day was over.

"Let me ask you this, Eric," Valera said, her head slightly bobbing. "Have _you _ever come close to _that_?" She gestured to Alexx and Henry.

"No," he admitted.

Valera didn't seem surprised by this; from what she had heard, Eric Delko was the kind of man that barely kept girlfriends for more than a few weeks and it was difficult to find love with so much inconsistency. She was certain one day his antics would settle and he would find the woman he could dedicate his life to, but for now he probably wasn't even looking for anything that committed and he was content with his life.

"How about you, Calleigh?" she asked. "Have you ever been in love?"

Calleigh rolled her lips, the subject of love was a subject she wasn't keen on discussing. In her experience, love was just another opportunity for broken promises and unhappy endings. She had spent most of her life to watching the so-called love of her parent's marriage crumble and for the longest time Calleigh had told herself if_ that _was love, she didn't want any part of it. But the day had come when she left her Darnell home for college and she truly opened her heart to a man for the first time. During her college career, she fell and remained in love with Jake Berkeley and he loved her back, but as their graduation approached they knew they would be going their separate ways and the love they shared deteriorated. Calleigh told herself that he had been nothing more than a phase, but it still broke her heart when she walked away from Jake the day after they received their diplomas.

"Once," she replied simply, not allowing her colleagues to see the emotion that came with the mention of her first love.

Valera heavily sighed. "Lucky."

"Listen, Valera," Speedle said. "The solution here is simple. When Alexx throws the bouquet, knock everyone else out of the way for it and, if the saying is true, you should be the next one to get married."

"If only it were that easy," she said sadly, shaking her head before looking at Calleigh. "So, Calleigh, who was this lover of yours?"

"Some guy in college," she said, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible. "You know how those end."

Valera nodded empathetically and took another sip of her champagne. Eric's curiosity had been aroused by Calleigh's confession of her once being in love; she seemed so reserved with her emotions that he didn't think it would be possible for her to open herself up to the extent that she would allow herself to love someone.

"Don't worry, Max, one day we'll be attending your wedding," Calleigh said confidentially.

"I hope so," Valera sighed sadly.

"And when are we going to see your wedding, Cal?" Speedle asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Calleigh rolled her eyes. "Probably not for a while. I'm not really in a rush to get married right now," she admitted.

"And you haven't met anyone with the guts to marry you."

Calleigh laughed. "That too, but let's focus on who's wedding this is, where's the renewed bride?"

"Last I saw her, she was reluctantly talking to her sister-in-law," Speedle said.

"Well, I'll go rescue her," Calleigh joked. "Anyone else want to come?"

"I will," Eric volunteered.

"Great," she grinned before they walked back into the crowd of people to go looking for their friend.

"Wow, first a dance now they're walking together," Valera slyly smiled.

"It was nothing, Valera," Speedle said.

But she just rolled her eyes. "Please, if you believe that you are blind. They really like each other."

"You think?"

"Yeah." Then she shrugged. "They just don't know it yet."


	6. August

"Technically, I'm still the new kid, so tell me, does Horatio make you do this a lot?" Eric asked as Calleigh parked the hummer on a darkened street. Across from them was a house where their prime suspect resided and they were parked in a position where they, with the assistance of binoculars, see it perfectly, however the suspect wouldn't have the privilege of seeing them.

"Only when absolutely necessary," Calleigh replied, cutting the engine and unbuckling her seatbelt.

They had been assigned on this stakeout while Horatio and Speedle rushed to find evidence that would condemn their suspect, Jake Hemming, as the killer in the case they were working. They had gathered evidence, however most of it was deemed circumstantial and he constantly slithered away, even though it was apparent he was guilty; they just needed one piece of solid evidence before they could make an arrest. Calleigh and Eric had to watch Hemming's house now, Horatio fearing he may attempt to make an escape in the night and they'd lose him for good.

"I doubt we'll see much trouble from him tonight," Calleigh said confidentially. "His lights are out, he's probably asleep."

"He probably thinks he got away with it," Eric added, shaking his head. "Cocky bastard."

"Well, hopefully that means it'll be a peaceful night." She was hoping for that, but she still double checked her gun and pulled out two pairs of binoculars, handing one pair to Eric before she went to check out the perimeter. Eric observed the house through the binoculars; everything appeared calm and Calleigh had the same findings when she returned.

"Have you worked many of these?" Eric asked.

"I did back in the day when I was on patrol, but as a CSI this is only my second," Calleigh shrugged. "And they all go by pretty slowly."

"So how do we pass the time?"

"By looking at the house," she sighed.

They sat in silence for a while, occasionally peering through their binoculars to check on the house and taking turns checking the perimeter.

"What's your favorite movie?" Eric asked randomly.

Calleigh's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Where did that come from?"

"Just a way to pass the time," he shrugged.

"We're supposed to be watching the house," she reminded him.

Eric smirked and put the binoculars to his eyes to look at the house. "What's your favorite movie?"

Calleigh rolled her eyes at his wit. "I can't choose."

"What's your earliest memory?" he asked.

Calleigh thought a second. "Watching my cousins shoot guns when I was two, I think."

"What teams were you on in high school?"

"Let me ask you one," Calleigh smirked. "What's _your _favorite movie?"

"_Platoon_," he replied. "So what teams?"

"Rifle team and debate," she said. "You?"

"Swimming, baseball and track."

"Oh, you were a jock," Calleigh said teasingly.

"Hey, I was the smartest guy on those teams," he countered with a smile.

"A rare breed in deed," she replied, enjoying the light banter of the high school stereotypes.

"Funny. Okay, what's your favorite book?"

"Again, can't choose," she sighed.

"Okay, three of your favorites," he revised.

"Let me think. Let's see…." She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. "In no particular order…_Frankenstein, To Kill a Mockingbird _and…anything Agatha Christie."

"I could see that," he nodded.

"If you won the lottery, what would you spend the money on?" Calleigh asked.

"I would bring the rest of my family over from Cuba," Eric said instantly, his answer not requiring any thought.

Calleigh smiled. "That's sweet."

"How old were you when you got your first kiss?"

Calleigh gaped at him in surprised and raised his eyebrows.

"What?" Eric asked.

"That's a bit personal, don't you think?" Calleigh questioned.

"Hey, I could have done a lot worse," he laughed, holding up his hands innocently.

"Okay, fine," Calleigh succumbed, deciding it was better just to answer this one other than risk him asking her something more risqué later on. "I was seventeen….What was your favorite show as a kid?"

"Um…" Eric thought for a moment and decided on the first one that came to his head. "_Tom and Jerry."_

"Classic," Calleigh said with a chuckle.

"It is," Eric agreed. "How old were you when you shot a gun the first time?"

"Five, I think," she recollected.

"Damn, that's pretty young," he commented.

"It's a Southern thing," Calleigh smiled proudly. "Okay, I've got one, what did you want to be when you were younger?"

"Okay, back in the day I wanted to be an Olympic swimmer," he admitted.

"I can see that," she smiled, bringing the binoculars to her again. "Can you check the perimeter?"

"Yeah," he nodded, sliding out the car.

The house still remained silent and Calleigh's eyes followed Eric until he was out of sight. She picked up her phone and called Speedle.

"We're still working," was his reply when Calleigh asked if they found another piece of evidence.

"Okay, good luck," she sighed.

"How's the house looking?" Speedle asked.

"Well, the lights are off and he hasn't tried to make a break for it," Calleigh said. "Delko is checking the perimeter to be sure."

"Gotcha."

"Keep me posted," she said before hanging up the phone. Not long later, Eric rejoined her in the car.

"It's looking good," he reported.

"Good," Calleigh nodded. "I called Speed."

"Did they find anything?"

"Nada," Calleigh sighed.

Eric nodded and the stared out the windshield for a moment before another round of playful questioning began.

"What was the worst job you've ever had?"

"Probably working as a busgirl in college," Calleigh said. "I would have gone nuts if I hadn't gotten promoted."

Eric laughed loudly at that.

"What?" she questioned, a little surprised.

"Well, being a busgirl would drive you nuts, yet you are sane working with felons?"

"Yeah," Calleigh nodded.

Eric laughed again and Calleigh couldn't resist smiling back, she liked Eric's laugh and it had an effect of boosting her mood every time she heard it.

"You're one of the strangest, most interesting people I've ever met," he commented.

"Why, thank you," she said. "Okay, I've got one, who was your best friend growing up?"

The playful interrogation continued until their creativity failed them and they couldn't conjure up any more questions.

They took turns checking the perimeter, never once was there any sign of Hemming escaping.

At around four in the morning, two patrol officers arrived, announcing Eric and Calleigh's end of their shift on the stakeout. They pulled out onto the highway and headed towards MDP. Calleigh kept her eyes firmly pointed on the road, not allowing herself to blink incase tiredness caught up with her.

"This is Delko," Eric said suddenly. Calleigh turned to see he had his phone to his ear; she hadn't even heard it ring. "What've you got?" Calleigh looked at him, hoping Speedle and Horatio had cracked the case. "Great, is someone-?" He paused to listen. "Okay, he's on it, perfect….Yeah, we'll see you tomorrow." Then he ended the call.

"Tell me we've got something," Calleigh said.

"We got his DNA trapped in the slide of the gun," he said with a relieved smile. "H and Speed are on the way over to get him and we can handle interrogation in the morning. Maybe a night in lockup will make Hemming more cooperative."

"Doubt it," Calleigh sighed. "But we can hope."

One more right turn and they were at PD to return the Hummer. Calleigh pulled into the parking garage and pulled into the appropriate parking space. Not a soul, save for themselves, was in the parking garage and their footsteps echoed as they stepped out of the vehicle.

"Well, thank you for making this one of the more interesting stakeouts of my career," Calleigh smiled as she closed the door.

"Not a problem," he assured her. "But you never told me about the first time you got drunk."

Calleigh rolled her eyes; that had been one question she had refused to answer earlier in the night.

"Maybe another night, Delko," she smirked as she headed towards her own car.


	7. September

Calleigh softly knocked on Eric's condo door, slightly worried as to how he was holding up. Today, Eric had had his first experience of a field shooting; Calleigh had been there at the time. His instincts were quick and if he were scared, he didn't show it as they took cover and aimed their guns. Only after the suspect was taken care of did his face flush slightly and he barely spoke the rest of the day. The Academy could only teach you and train you for so much, there was no way to prepare someone for the impact that came with an officer's first shooting.

Eric's face appeared at the door and he seemed surprised to see her. "Calleigh, hey."

"Hey," she said, her voice was gentle and kind. "Um…do you mind if I come in?"

He didn't speak, he just stepped to the side and allowed her to come in. For the first time, Calleigh stepped into the habitat of Eric Delko. She hadn't pictured his home, so she wasn't exactly sure what to expect; what she got was a very typical bachelor pad. There was a worn black couch with a matching recliner, a wilting plant on the windowsill, newspapers and car magazines scattered on the coffee table and a gym bag dropped beside the television cabinet.

"Make yourself at home," he said, gesturing to the couch. "Do you want a drink or something?"

"No thanks, I'm fine," she assured him with a grin as she took a seat on the couch.

"So, what's up?" Eric asked, sitting on the recliner.

She rubbed her palms together as she spoke. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay," she said. "You know, after what happened earlier. That…that must have been something."

Eric sighed. "It was intense," he agreed. "But I'm fine."

But there was something in his eyes that made her think otherwise; Calleigh saw the same look in herself whenever she denied being hurt or upset. The truth was Eric could still hear the ringing of gunfire in his ears and the voice of Horatio yelling for Calleigh and Eric to get down as the shooter ambushed them. He could remember every last detail, despite how hard he tried to forget and he had the feeling the forefront of his dreams tonight would be what he experienced today.

"You know, it's normal to be shaken after you see something like that for the first time," Calleigh said in a comforting voice. "I remember my first shooting."

"What happened?" Eric asked.

"I was on Patrol and we had to confiscate some drugs from a warehouse," she began. "Needless to say, some local gang who loved cocaine wasn't too thrilled about it. They came in and started shooting up the place. I remember trying to keep safe and calm, but there was so much adrenaline in my system and everything happened so fast that it was over as quickly as it began; it was just a blur. I think I was more scared when it stopped than I was when it was actually happening."

Calleigh remembered how the sudden silence of when it was over impacted her and when she realized one wrong move and she could have died.

"You okay, Duquesne?" her superior at the time asked her later that day.

"Yes, sir," she had replied bravely, but when she got home she experienced exactly what Eric was feeling right at this moment.

They knew that at work they couldn't let shootings get to them or they wouldn't survive, but when off duty they could deal with the shock of experiencing the first gunfight of their careers and how horrifying it had been.

"So how did you deal with it?" He hoped her reply would give him some clue of how to handle what he was going through.

"I went home, took a moment to think about it, went to bed and then went back to work the next morning," she sighed.

Eric chuckled a little. "So you just live with it?"

"That's how I do it," she shrugged.

"Do you ever get used to it?" he asked. "The shootings?"

Calleigh took a moment, wanting to describe this as clearly as possible. "You…get used to dealing with the emotions and with the after effects. After you experience a shooting the first time, you know how you'll feel afterwards so it makes your emotions easier to deal with, but the actual shootings." Calleigh shook her head. "Those you can never really get used to."

"But it's the job, isn't it? You just gotta do it," he said, looking up at her with a smile that seemed more genuine and less strained.

"Yeah," Calleigh nodded in agreement. She reached over to rest a comforting hand on his arm, his skin was warm beneath her hand. "You're going to be fine. You know, it's sort of like the first day of school; you're terrified on the first day, but once the shock wears off, you manage to adapt."

Eric chortled at the analogy. "Like school, only with guns and the chance of getting killed."

Calleigh laughed a little in response as she lifted her hand from his arm. She sighed and shook her head. "Getting in shootings looks a lot easier when Clint Eastwood does it, hey?"

"Hell yeah," he nodded; slowly the light was coming back into his eyes and he started to look like the Eric she knew.

"But the important thing is that you didn't panic," Calleigh praised him. "That can only mean one thing."

"What's that?" Eric asked curiously.

"That you are a natural as a cop," she smiled, hoping that would be enough to remedy any doubts he may have had about his abilities.

He returned her smile gratefully. "Thanks, Cal."

"It's the truth, but right now you're a cop that's off duty. So do you want to get a drink or something?" she offered, getting to her feet. "It's on me."

"No thanks," he replied as he pushed himself out of the chair. "I think maybe I just need to be alone."

Calleigh nodded, understanding that feeling too well. "Okay. I'm sorry for barging in here like this; I just wanted to make sure that you're okay."

"I appreciate that," Eric said, giving her a bit of a smile.

They simultaneously stepped forward and wrapping their arms around one another; she smoothed her hand up and down his back in a comforting motion. Eric wasn't sure if it showed on his face, but he was glad she came over to talk to him; she had been in law enforcement longer than he had and her advice on how to handle these situations offered a little comfort.

"Thanks for coming," he grinned as they leaned out of the embrace.

"Not a problem," she promised. "Call if you need anything. I'll see you later."

"Yeah, I'll see you," he agreed as she headed towards the door; she turned to give him one more smile before turning the knob and leaving completely.


	8. October

The video rental store was definitely taking advantage of the holiday season—the Halloween holiday season, that is; cloth spider webs hung in the windows, plastic skeletons were pinned along the walls and even some of the employees had taken to wearing witches hats and vampire fangs to stimulate the spirit. The sound effects of wolves howling, thunder clashing and witches cackling was over the speakers and caused a few of the younger children in the store to hold tightly to their mother's legs while others were absorbed in the spooky spirit and were eagerly discussing their Halloween plans; Speedle and Eric weren't part of that crowd.

Upon walking into the store, the over the top decorations instantly made Speedle roll his eyes. "Great, it's that time of year again," he sighed without enthusiasm, already dreading the first of November when the CSI team would have to deal with the aftereffects of the night before.

They briefly glanced at the horror movies before stepping towards the shelves that contained more movies of the action variety. They scanned the shelves for any recent releases that they may have missed when they were in theaters and occasionally came across some classics that they wouldn't mind revisiting.

"What's the name of the new one with the FBI agent that's taken hostage and his partner has to save him?" Speedle asked Eric at one point.

"You mean the one with the actress who used to live in the Playboy Mansion?" asked a woman behind them; there was no mistaking who the voice belonged to.

They turned around and Calleigh stood there, holding a few movies in her hand and the usual smile on her face.

"And how do you know that?" replied Speedle, raising an eyebrow.

"Because I spend too much time with women-obsessed men like you two," Calleigh smirked playfully.

"So what are you doing here, getting a bunch of movies that are rated G? Or do you just enjoy movies with animated dinosaurs?" Eric asked, taking one of the movies from Calleigh's hand to look questionably at the cover.

Calleigh took the case back from Eric, giving him a playful glare. "I'm going to be babysitting Alexx's children tomorrow night and my collection of kid-friendly movies is _slightly_ limited."

"What? Does Alexx not want her kids to watch crime dramas that involve blood and murder?" asked Speedle.

"No, but give them a few years and I'll introduce them to that joy. So what are you two doing here?"

"Guys night," Speedle replied. "Nothing but beer, unhealthy snacks and movies."

"Aw, male bonding, how sweet," Calleigh smiled. "So I take it Halloween isn't the theme?"

"Not when it's still two and a half weeks away," he said, grabbing another movie and turning it over to read the synopsis. "Besides, my Halloween will probably be the same as it was last year and the years before that."

"Which was?" Eric inquired.

"Solving a case with some horror motif, then running into a bunch of freaks at the bar afterward," Speedle sighed, shaking his head as he placed the film back on the shelf.

"What about you, Cal, any plans for Halloween?" Eric asked.

"Probably working late," she shrugged. "After that nothing; I'm not a fan of Halloween parties and no one comes to my house to trick-or-treat."

"Is that because in your neighborhood the parents know you as the crazy old lady with a bunch of guns?" Speedle asked with a smirk.

Calleigh crossed her arms and turned to glare him as Eric snickered behind her back. "Who are you calling old?" she demanded.

"Oh no," they suddenly heard Eric mutter under his breath before Speedle could retort with a witty remark.

"Don't worry, Eric, I won't hurt him too much," Calleigh assured him.

"Not that, it's the girl working at the counter," Eric replied, nodding in the direction of a young woman that had to be in her early twenties with dark hair covered by a pointed back hat and attached to her work vest was a jack-o-lantern pin. "I know her."

"Ex-girlfriend?" Speedle automatically guessed, knowing his friend well enough to know that the majority of his conflicts arose when women were involved, primarily the ones he used to date.

"Yeah, from college," he nodded.

"Bad break-up?" Calleigh assumed from the look in Eric's eye.

"No, it's not that, it's just…" Eric hesitated. "She's a bit of…. Well, you see…she reminds me a bit of, well, a boomerang."

Calleigh and Speedle exchanged a glance before turning back to Eric, each wearing a bemused expression. "A boomerang?"

"Yeah, because no matter how many times you say 'we're done' and get far away, she always comes back and wants to get back together," Eric clarified, shaking his head.

"That makes sense, I guess," Speedle said. "So what's so wrong with her that you broke up?"

"Nothing, really, she was just a bit too clingy and we didn't exactly mesh, you know?"

"That's no reason you have to avoid her now," Calleigh pointed out. "Times change and maybe she's not as, well, _boomerangy_ as she once had been. Maybe you should be nice and say hi to her."

Speedle and Eric now exchanged a look, clearly stating that she didn't understand their perspective of the situation due to her lack of a Y chromosome.

"What?" she asked, confused by their expressions.

"Calleigh, it's just, guys don't normally, well…strike up conversations with their exes," Eric attempted to explain.

"Yeah, we tend to say goodbye and move on, hoping to never see them again, much less talk to them," Speedle added.

Calleigh rolled her eyes, unsurprised by their typical male approach to dealing with relationships. "Men."

Eric and Speedle ignored the jab and began to search the shelves more; Eric being particularly careful not to face the counter where the woman was working in hopes he wouldn't be recognized.

"Have you seen this one?" Speedle asked, pulling out a familiar title from the shelf.

"No, but I heard it sucked," Eric said.

"What?" asked Speedle, sounding slightly appalled. "It's a classic."

"It's from 1995, Speed."

"I guess it was an instant classic," Calleigh said. "Oh, and Eric, the boomerang is coming back."

Eric's head snapped up and, sure enough, the woman in the pointed hat was approaching, a flirtatious smile on her face; Eric cursed under his breath and turned away from her, though he knew there was no way to avoid her now.

"Oh, Eric, relax. It's not that big a deal," Calleigh sighed, now becoming slightly frustrated; Eric felt someone tap his shoulder and he had no choice but to turn and face Debbie Green.

"Remember me?" she asked, her was voice borderline seductive and her two heavily painted lips curved into an alluring smile; she clearly knew the answer.

"Of course," replied Eric, looking a bit uncomfortable. "How've you been, Debbie?" He was only asking out of politeness and instantly began to think of an escape.

"Good, I suppose," she said before glancing at Speedle and Calleigh; her dark eyes raked over Calleigh briefly and her smile waned slightly, obviously concerned. "Who are your friends?"

Eric turned to them; it was apparent they were trying to keep the smiles off their faces. "This is Calleigh Duquesne and Tim Speedle; we work together. Guys, this is Debbie Green."

"Nice to meet you," Debbie said, her smile partially returning upon hearing of Calleigh's mere colleague status; though Calleigh had the suspicion that Debbie wouldn't have been scared away had their relationship been on a greater level.

"You too," Calleigh replied and Speedle gave her a nod.

"Yeah, I guess I've been okay," Debbie sighed, looking back at Eric. "But I occasionally miss the old times."

Calleigh and Speedle had pretended to be interested in the movies again and smiled at Debbie's all-too-obvious comment.

"So where did you end up working?" Debbie asked, clearly desperate to get Eric talking.

"I'm a CSI with MDPD," he replied, attempting to sound blasé to lose her interest and conclude this conversation.

"Oh, you're a cop," she beamed a dazzling smile. "So you get a gun and cuffs? I've gotta say, that's kind of… well, actually it's very, very sexy."

Eric heard Speedle chuckle and cover it up with a cough.

"And are you, um, with anyone?" Debbie asked as her eyes shifted to Calleigh for a brief second; clearly her fears had yet to be fully stifled.

"Not at the moment," he replied regrettably.

Speedle groaned quietly enough for only Calleigh to hear. "He should have lied. Now she's gonna go in for the kill."

Eric saw a hint of excitement sparkle in Debbie's eyes. "Well, maybe we should get a drink sometime."

"Ten bucks says he's soft and agrees to go on a date with her," Speedle whispered to Calleigh as they pretended to be interested in a movie.

"You're on," Calleigh replied as Eric rattled his brain for a way to let her down easy.

"Well, Debbie, the thing is, um, well….You see, I just started this new job and I don't want any distractions," Eric said, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice; the aggravation level rose however when she took his hand and uncapped a pen with her teeth.

"If you change your mind," she said, scribbling her number on his palm. "Give me a call." She kissed his skin, gave him a wink and walked away; her lips left red residue on his hand.

Eric shuttered and was frozen until he heard Calleigh's voice.

"Pay up," she smirked at Speedle, sounding a little bit smug.

"Okay," Speedle sighed, handing her two fives. "Man, I'm not sure if I should feel bad for you or mock you," he now said to Eric, thumping him on the back. "So are you going to call her?"

"Not a chance in hell," Eric replied instantly.

Calleigh shook her head sadly. "Poor girl, she just likes you too much."

"And now we have to wait and see if she ever comes back," pointed out Speedle, unable to resist smiling at the situation.

"I think we've got enough movies," sighed Eric, the store making his skin crawl for reasons that had nothing to do with the Halloween décor. "Let's get out of here."

"I'll get these, save you from confrontation," smirked Speedle, taking the movies up to the counter.

Calleigh turned to face Eric directly and crossed her arms. "You have a problem being straightforward with women, don't you?" Calleigh asked, arching an eyebrow.

"What?" he asked, taken aback.

"You heard me," she said. "You couldn't just tell that girl you're done, you made some excuse. You use pick-up lines instead of asking if they want to go out. This is a classic male problem."

"You could write a book," Eric commented.

"I'm just saying that when it comes to your feelings and women, you have to tell them because if they don't say the words, they won't know what to believe. Do you know what I'm saying?" she finished.

Calleigh waited for Eric to process what she just said, hoping he didn't take what she was saying as an insult; she was generally attempting to be helpful. She knew one day he'd find a woman he'd want to be with for life, but flirtations and beating around the bush wouldn't be enough to make that special woman return his love. If this woman was anything like her, she knew that woman would want to hear the words straight from his mouth, not by dancing in circles and playing games; he needed to know that.

"I do," Eric finally replied just before Speedle rejoined them.

"Ready to hit the road?" he asked.

"Yeah. We'll see you tomorrow, Cal," Eric said.

"Bye," she replied as they turned towards the door, running a frustrated hand through her hair.

Calleigh walked around the store one more time to see if there were any other movies she may get, meanwhile she thought about her conversation with Eric. She wasn't completely sure Eric heard what she said, though she wasn't surprised; Eric was the young flirtatious type and she was sure the idea of a committed relationship seldom crossed his mind. But one day, she predicted, he would fall for a woman and not know how to tell her, making for some uncomfortable situations, she was sure.

But she knew there was nothing she could do, as the old saying went "boys would be boys."

When she went up to the counter and pay, she realized too late that she was in Debbie's line and upon seeing her, Debbie's smile returned.

"So how long have you worked with Eric?" she asked as she rang Calleigh up.

"A few months," Calleigh replied, pulling out some money from her purse.

"Lucky," Debbie sighed sadly as she gave Calleigh her change. "He's great isn't he?"

"Yeah, he's something," replied Calleigh, grabbing the movies. "Definitely something," she added under her breath as she pushed the door open and stepped into the cool night.


	9. November

Just something that came to me; I hope everyone enjoys. BTW: Expect an update for No Good Deed very soon.

* * *

><p>Calleigh was absolutely seething; never did she allow herself to get this angry to the extent that her jaw hurt from clenching her teeth and her nails were digging into her palms, but she was. She was glad the day was coming to a close and she could clock out, return home, and put this terrible day behind her. She walked angrily towards her locker and had to try her combination several times before she succeeded in opening the door; her fingers simply wouldn't cooperate with her mind.<p>

"Whoa, are you okay?" Eric asked as he walked by, having noticed her yank open her locker forcibly.

"I'm fine," she lied, her voice hard and her eyes were cold; he wasn't accustomed to witnessing this side of Calleigh. The Calleigh Eric thought he knew was never angry; slightly annoyed or frustrated, perhaps, but certainly not angry.

"No, you're not," Eric gently disagreed. "What's going on?"

Calleigh put everything in her locker and took a deep breath through her nose as she tried to grasp a handle on her emotions; being furious wouldn't help this situation and she needed to start thinking about how to resolve all this. She grabbed her purse and closed her locker with a little force as Eric stepped a bit closer to her.

"What's going on?" he asked kindly.

Calleigh let out the breath she had taken in and took a seat on the bench in front of the lockers; Eric took the seat beside her, ready to listen.

"Remember that guy at Alexx and Henry's vow renewal ceremony?" she asked. "The one who asked me to dance?"

"Yeah," he nodded; recalling the main who stuttered at the mere sight of her.

"Well, he filed a complaint against me," Calleigh laughed without humor.

"What? What for?" Eric asked, astounded.

"Well, the real reason is because he tried hitting on me again a few days ago. I told him I'd had enough and he'd better knock it off. So, he went to IAB to claim that _I _was the one trying to pursue _him_."

Eric scoffed in disbelief. "That's…that's ridiculous."

"Yeah, I know," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "And so I've spent the good part of the afternoon talking to the agents from IAB. Trust me, that's about as much fun as swimming in lava, so avoid it if you can."

"I'll keep that in mind. But, on the bright side, it's not like he has any evidence against you," Eric pointed out.

"Yeah, and odds are this'll just blow over, but it's going to go on file that I was accused of fraternizing with a colleague," Calleigh rolled her eyes. "And if it were true it'd be one thing, but it's not so…."

"Well, did you tell them he was the one hitting on you?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, so now it's a matter of he said, she said," Calleigh sighed.

Eric saw she was right, of course; with no absolute evidence to support either side, it was just finger pointing and trouble.

"You'll have people to speak on your behalf," Eric assured her.

"But so will he, I'm sure."

Eric hadn't a doubt in his mind about that one; Steve was certain to have some friends who would have his back.

"What are you going to do?" Eric asked.

Calleigh shrugged as she got to her feet. "There's nothing I can do but wait to see how the investigation goes."

"Well, Speed and I were going to grab a drink at Brennan's. You want to come?"

Calleigh smiled. "Sounds fun…but I think I'd rather just go home."

"Okay," Eric nodded, having the feeling she just putting the smile on and really just needed some time to herself to through everything that occurred. "We'll be there if you change your mind."

She grinned at him. "Thanks for letting me vent."

"No problem," he assured her as he got to his feet. "I'll see you."

"Yeah," she nodded, making her way out the door. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Then she was gone.

* * *

><p>Eric checked his watch; the night shifts should be starting about now, then an idea struck him and he headed back towards the elevator.<p>

Eric never had a very high tolerance for lies, especially when those falsifications were directed at innocent people, and then even more so when those innocent people were his friends; obviously he wasn't just going to sit back as this Calleigh versus Steve incident manifested without saying something first. Eric went down to Autopsy and waited for Steve's shift to begin, knowing he'd have to be arriving soon.

Then, right on cue, Steve came around the corner and was no doubt surprised to see Eric; it was the expression on Eric's face that surprised Steve more than his presence. Steve attempted to just walk passed Eric without speaking, but Eric caught his eye.

"Steve, I want to talk to you," Eric said, motioning for Steve to come to him.

"It's Delko, isn't it?" he asked, appearing more confident now than he did at the wedding; the absence of Calleigh definitely had something to do with that, Eric was sure.

"Yeah, I've got a bone to pick with you."

"About?"

"CSI Duquesne," he replied, lowering his voice in a menacing way. "I know what lies you've been telling those snakes in IAB."

He smirked. "Coming to defend your girlfriend?" He was clearly still sore about that dance from the wedding. "Touching," he added, covering the word with as much sarcasm and acid as possible.

"She's not my girlfriend," he murmured. "But she is my friend and I'll make you regret the day you were born if you don't go and take back those lies."

Steve rolled his eyes. "And why would I do that? Don't you think little miss I'm-Too-Professional-To-Date deserves to be taken down a notch?"

Eric just glared at him and, with a smirk, Steve took a brave step closer into Eric's space; they were about the same height and mere inches were between their faces.

"Look me in the eye and tell me she never turned you down with that excuse, Delko," he dared him.

"Take a step back out of my face," Eric ordered, using the tips of his fingers to force Steve back a few paces.

"That's what I thought," Steve scoffed with triumph.

Eric clenched his teeth in fury, but kept his composure as he stared Steve down. "Okay, smartass , listen closely. Tell IAB the truth or-."

"Or what? You're going to threaten me?" Steve asked in disbelief. "Do you think I'm scared of _you_?"

Eric chuckled darkly and shook his head. "No, I don't. But that's probably good, because it's not me you should be scared of….It's Calleigh you should be afraid of if this damages her rep. Remember what department she's an expert in and remember how Southerners don't take crap from wimps like you? Hell, by the time she's done with you, you're going to wish it was me teaching you a lesson."

Steve was still keeping his face composed, however Eric could see in his eyes he had struck some kind of chord with him.

"Just keep that in mind, will you man?" Eric asked, clapping him on the shoulder before turning back down the hall.

* * *

><p>Alexx and her body van had been caught up behind a traffic accident for the better part of an hour the following morning. The only thoughts running through her head was the corpse in the back that she needed to get opened if the CSIs were going to get anywhere with this case. By the time she got back to her morgue, she was certain they had finished up at the crime scene were going to need something from the victim; her theory was proven when Calleigh walked in.<p>

"Honey, turn back around, I've only just got here with this bad boy," Alexx said with a gesture to the body on the table.

Calleigh smiled and held her hands up in surrender as she walked back towards the door, only to be brought back by Alexx's voice again.

"By the way, did you hear what happened?" Alexx asked.

"Um," Calleigh tried to think of what Alexx could be referring to, but drawing up blank. "I heard that new war movie did great at the box office," Calleigh replied. "Why? What's going on?"

"Steve got the sack," Alexx said with a smile, knowing what had transpired between him and Calleigh.

"What?"

"Yeah, he confessed to lying to IAB about an officer." She gave Calleigh a meaningful look. "Needless to say, they didn't take being lied to too well."

"Does anybody?" Calleigh said, attempting to keep how pleased she looked off of her face. Then the beeping of her pager halted their conversation, Calleigh sighed as she looked at the screen. "Speak of the devil."

"IAB?" Alexx asked.

"Yeah," Calleigh replied. "This meeting is going to go either really good or really bad."

"Good luck, honey."

* * *

><p>Eric had just started his lunch break and he opened the refrigerator to grab the food he brought with him that morning. He sat down at the table and, as he unwrapped his sandwich, he noticed someone leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed with a small smile on their face; it was Calleigh.<p>

"Hey," he greeted her.

"Hi," she replied. "So, I just had an interesting chat with IAB."

"How'd it go?"

"Well, they told me I had nothing to worry about and all allegations have been erased."

"That's great," he smiled at her, clearly relieved and happy for her.

"It is, and I think I know why," she nodded. "Before I talked to them, I was talking to Alexx and she told me something _very _interesting."

"What's that?" he asked curiously.

"Well, she just told me that Steve got fired."

"Really?" Eric asked; Calleigh couldn't decipher whether or not he was truly surprised or not.

"Yeah," she nodded with a half-smile, taking a few steps toward him. "Apparently someone went to him and somehow persuaded him to tell the truth.. Now, the odd thing is I talked to two people about this, one being Alexx and the other being you, so it's not difficult to narrow down who talked to him."

"Alexx must have shaken him up," Eric shrugged.

Calleigh rolled her eyes. "Sure, that's what happened."

She closed the distance between herself and the table, taking a seat across from Eric. She stared him down, the corners of her mouth pulling up.

"What did you do?" she asked.

"No idea what you're talking about," Eric said before taking another bite into his sandwich.

"Yes you do," Calleigh stated, her lips curving into a smile.

Eric realized his poker face wasn't fooling her and she had him cornered, awaiting his confession, but he still wasn't going to say the truth out loud; it was apparent she already knew it.

Calleigh eventually gave up trying to make him retell the story and simply said, "You know you didn't have to do that. I could have taken care of it alone." Calleigh was a little surprised that she was glad Eric stepped in; she expected herself to be annoyed that someone stepped in trying to aid her in a battle. But Eric's intentions were so kind and refreshing—she wasn't accustomed to having an ally in her struggles—that any aggravation she could have possibly felt had evaporated, leaving her completely grateful.

Eric laughed a little. "Trust me, Calleigh, I know you could have. But you don't always have to deal with things alone," he said with a grin. "Not that I did anything," he added quickly.

At that she had to fight rolling her eyes for a second time. "Well, thanks," she said sincerely.

"No problem. Sandwich?" he offered, holding up another sandwich wrapped in cling film.

"Sure," Calleigh smiled, sitting across from him and taking the sandwich.

"Is this considered a lunch date?" he asked slyly as Calleigh unwrapped her sandwich.

Calleigh grinned. "This is considered our one and _only _lunch date."

"I'll take it," Eric smiled, fully satisfied.


End file.
